When Jared Polis arrived Tuesday evening to host a small town hall-style meeting in Boulder, he was met by dozens of furious constituents demanding answers about the congressman's part in a new compromise on state oil and gas drilling.

On Monday, Polis, D-Boulder, stood by Gov. John Hickenlooper for a joint news conference announcing the dissolution of four measures, two of which Polis had helped garner nearly 300,000 petition signatures for.

The first would have required drilling rigs to be set back at least 2,000 feet from homes. The second aimed to increase local control by adding to the state constitution an environmental bill of rights.

Meanwhile, two industry-backed petitions were also downed — the first would have withheld state drilling revenues from jurisdictions that had banned oil and gas operations, and the second would have required potential fiscal impacts be noted alongside any ballot initiatives.

Many involved in Tuesday's protest outside of Boulder's Meadows Branch Library — where Polis eventually held a town hall meeting after roughly 40 minutes of loud, claustrophobic interaction with protesters — said they felt outraged that the congressman would so abruptly abandon something for which he'd rallied so many.

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"He's been very good, and that's why this is very shocking," said Josh Fox, director of the "Gasland" films. "It's a betrayal of the democratic process. That's clear. ... I'm at the airport and I started to get these messages yesterday saying that these nearly 260,000-plus signatures have been pulled, and I thought, what are you talking about? How is that possible?"

Said Greeley teacher Therese Gilbert: "A state initiative was our only hope. The air that blows out of Weld County is destroying the air up and down the Front Range corridor, and it's everybody's problem."

Rod Brueske gives U.S. Rep. Jared Polis his reaction to the pulling of anti-fracking state ballot initiatives before an appearance by the congressman at the Meadows Branch Library in Boulder on Tuesday evening. (Paul Aiken)

Standing in the middle of a dense, frenzied huddle, Polis said he remains steadfast in his opposition to fracking close to homes, but that the timing was off in this instance.

"I stepped into a void and tried to move the issue forward. Next time we do this, it'll be a people-powered initiative," he said.

As the crowd chanted: "We are unstoppable. Another world is possible," "We don't need you, Jared Polis" and "Count the signatures now," Polis promised he'd try to organize a national summit to give them greater voice.

"These are never easy decisions, but when you look at the tactics of it — what might pass, what might fail — I think that this is the best place we could have gotten to," he later added.

"This sets in place a way to keep the pressure on legislators," he said, "and it leaves the door open for 2016, when there's a more favorable electorate."

Some at the protest said the dropping of Polis' measures only served to reaffirm for them a profound distrust of politicians.

"The power is not with our representatives. The power is with us," said Mary Smith, founder of Boulder County Community Rights Network. "The government is of the people, but the problem is that we've all forgotten that. We keep pointing our fingers at politicians saying, 'It's up to you to fix.' Well, it's up to us."

"Polis," she added, "needs to defend the constitution of the state as a citizen. He needs to stop playing games with the people. He works for us. He is not the authority. I'm tired of these politicians acting like they are the power."

Hickenlooper and Polis proposed that, in place of the dropped measures, a commission of experts be convened to develop ideas for future legislation.

The congressman said he hopes to galvanize his anti-fracking detractors to work as "friends" by hashing out a new brand of tactics all can agree on.

"I'm excited to participate," Polis said. "This is an issue that my constituents and I feel passionately about because it's an issue that defines the quality of life in our state.

"I think that there will be broad support for moving forward with protecting homeowners and defending communities from fracking too close to homes. Whether that's through the courts, the Legislature or through the initiative process, it'll take a broad coalition moving forward."

After meeting with protesters who flung personal insults — including at Polis' mother, who was in attendance — the congressman smiled and said he looked forward to continuing the dialogue.

"You see this enthusiasm here tonight. It's a message to the oil and gas industry: Take our concerns seriously," he said.

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